Netanyahu Critics: Ukraine Is a Warning

There is a simple question that every critic of Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Tuesday must answer: should he rather wait, as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko did, and address Congress after suffering a crushing defeat? Or should Netanyahu hasten to warn America before disaster strikes, before a deal is done with Iran that cannot be undone?

The answer is simple. Poroshenko was warmly received by both parties–after the Crimea was lost, after Russian-backed rebels had begun waging war in the eastern Ukraine, after President Barack Obama had turned down requests for arms. He spoke movingly–but politely, challenging America to do more to help, hoping Congress and Obama would get the message.

And what happened? Nothing. The Ukraine has suffered crushing military defeats, and the future of NATO is in danger.

Can Netanyahu afford the same risk? Of course not. The deal under consideration by the Obama administration reportedly allows Iran to keep most of its uranium enrichment infrastructure, and would allow Iran to go nuclear within a decade. It is unclear how the international community would monitor compliance–meaning Iran could “break out” even earlier.

Already, Iran has moved troops to Israel’s borders and continues to arm terrorist proxies. It has also–right under President Obama’s nose–planned attacks against American targets, even on American soil.